Eye Health Archive

A 2023 report warns that pickleball and other racquet sports can expose older adults to the risk of eye injuries, but wearing protective, shatterproof eyewear when playing can offer a layer of safety.

Viewing a solar eclipse can damage eyesight if eyes aren't protected. It can lead to solar retinopathy, with symptoms such as blurry or distorted vision, blind spots, and headaches. People planning to view a solar eclipse can wear special glasses to protect their eyes.

According to a 2024 study, older adults with cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, or glaucoma are more likely to suffer falls compared with those without these eye diseases.

Dropless cataract surgery is a new innovation. It enables eye surgeons to administer a medication into a patient's eye during surgery that eliminates the need to use expensive, inconvenient eye drops for several weeks after surgery.

Vision loss has many risk factors. Some risk factors are well known, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and older age. Other risk factors for vision loss are not as well known, such as inactivity, psoriasis, shingles, and smoking. People who have these risk factors might need eye exams more often than the standard recommendations for healthy adults (a comprehensive eye exam every two years from ages 40 to 65, and every year or two after age 65).

Night blindness makes it hard to see in dim or dark settings, which can affect safety at home and make driving dangerous after dark. While the cause varies, there are steps people can take to address these problems.

Retinal migraines cause temporary blindness or vision changes in just one eye. They are three times as common in women as men. Retinal migraines last from 10 minutes to an hour and arrive with or just after the start of the headache. Symptoms may seem similar to what can happen during a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or stroke. People who experience new vision changes, even temporary ones, should seek medical attention.